The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-04-20
CIR GREAT CApTA1,..
"reminiscences OF General Lee from Cen
crai !.G,ls's Book.
C.:r0m the New York sun

(Erom the New York SUM-
Wc are tod that only twice during the
biograDher's prolonged intimacy with
Lee was The latter seen to lose his tenn
per, and that one of these lapses from
self-control occurred at Sharpsburg
:'Lce," it seems, "was riding along a
| il. fle IL the rear Of the line when he
came across q soldier who had stolen and
killed pig, which he was surreptitiops-
y conveying to his quarters. Positive
orders having been given against plllage
OF e?ely kind in Maryland, this fragrant
disregard OF his commands threw the
General into a not passion. Though
usual greatly disinclired to capital pun
ishment, he determined to make an ex-
ample OF this skulking pilferer, and
ordered the man to be arrested and taken
back to Jackson, with directors TO have
him shot" The Puritan General, to
whom Scriptural precedents were quite
as familiar as they had been to Crom-
wells officers, s'could not quite see the
utility Of the culprit's execution, when
men were already scarce, and it struck
him that it would answer the purpose
quite as well to put the fellow in the
front ranks Of the army at tie most
threatened point. He accordingly
treated him as David is reported 10 have
served the husband of Ba:lsheba,
placing him where his chance OF being
shot vas excellent. The fellow, though
fond Of clandestine pork, was not want
ing in courage, and behaved gallantly.
lie redeemed his credit by his bravery,
coming through the heat Of the fight
unscathed, and thus though he lost his
pig, he may be said to have saved his
bacon"
The author appropriately? concludes
tie chapter assigned to Gettysburg,
where the star Of the Contederacy's
fortunes passed into irreparable eclipse,
with the following anecdote, which rests
only on newspaper authority, but
which General Long deems worthy Of
belief and reproduction, because it IS so
strangely co2sonant with his own obser-
v&tioas OF Lees large e-nindea end in
v&riabiy cousiGerate attitude toward
Union men. The story was originally
told by q Grand Army" man, who had
b2en viewing the panorama OF the battle
cI Gettysburg, and who said: i was in
the battle OF Gettysburg myself, and an
iac:den5 occurred there which largely
changed my views Of the Southern peo-
PIE. / had been most bitter anti-South
man, and fought and cursed the Confed-
crates desperately. { could see nothing
good IN any OF them. The last day OF
the fight I vas badly wounded; g ball
shattered Iy lett leg. l lay on the
ground not iar tGo:n Cemetery Ridge,
slld as General Lee ordered his retreat,
BE a:.3 his officers rode near NE. As
they came along recognized hin, and,
though I&irs i:oIn exposure AID LOSS OF
b:oo3, ! raised Up NY hands, looked
Lee il !le faee, and shouted as loud as
Z ccaid, 'Har;rr..h for the Union" The
General bear me, looked, stopped his
horse, disnounted, and came toward
me. 7 confess tnai [ at first thought he
meant to xii ne. But as he came up
ae looked down az re with such sad
EXPRESSION upon his face that all fear
left me, and wondered what ne was
about. Ee extended his hand to me,
and graspin9 nine firmly and looking
light into my eyes, SAID: Ny son, l
nope thai you will soon be well. Ii /
1--we thousand years shall never forget
the look upon Lees face. There he was,
defeated, retiring from a field that had
cost hirn and his cause almost their last
hope, yet lie stopped to say such words
as those TO a wounded soldier of the
enemy who had taunted him as he passed
by. As soon as the general had left me
I cried myself to sleep there upon the
bloody ground.